MA Suspensions for Out of State Violations

G.L. c. 90 § 22(c) requires the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to automatically suspend your Massachusetts Driver’s License whenever the Mass. RMV is notified of certain out of state suspensions, revocation, and convictions. When this happens and the Massachusetts suspension is imposed due to a loss of driving privileges in another state, the MA Registry will provide you with the other state’s contact information, so that you can contact that state’s Motor Vehicle Department and reinstate your right to operate in that state.

If you are a Massachusetts resident and you have lost your driving privileges due to an out of state violation, such as Operating Under the Influence, you must reinstate your right to operate in the state where the violation occurred as a precondition to the reinstatement of your Massachusetts Driver’s License. This reinstatement requirement applies to both Class D and Commercial Driver’s Licenses.

G.L. c. 90 § 22(c) requires MassDOT to treat out of state convictions of Massachusetts residents or license holders as if they had occurred in the Commonwealth, for penalty purposes, and immediately revoke the driver’s license, without providing a pre-revocation hearing.

Under the current suspension and revocation system in place in Massachusetts, the Registry will impose any out of state suspension of driving privileges against your Mass. License. It will also impose a separate suspension of your MA license for DUI, reckless driving, leaving the scene, and other similar out of state convictions. This suspension is appealable.

Not all of the penalties imposed by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles are legal and it may be possible to reverse some of these suspensions or at least obtain a hardship license. Anyone who has had his or her license suspended in Massachusetts is entitled to challenge the suspension at the Driver Control Unit of the Mass. RMV in Boston and at the Division of Insurance Board of Appeal. Also, some MA license suspensions can be appealed to the District or Superior Courts.

If you have received a notice from the RMV announcing the Suspension of your Driver’s License/Right to Operate, you should contact a lawyer to find out about your appellate rights and what can be done to challenge the suspension.